38 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



CHAPTER III. 



" The majesty of God appears no less in small things than in 

 great : and as it exceedeth human sense in the greatness of the 

 universe, so also it doth in the smallness of the parts thereof.'' 



FORAMINIFERA. 



WE will now suppose our tank to be complete, at 

 least as far as relates to preliminary arrangements; 

 our sea-weeds have become habituated to their new 

 abode, and sponges clothe our mimic rocks with a 

 soft living carpet ; the water has been left to settle 

 undisturbed, and is as clear and bright as crystal, so 

 that we are tempted more minutely to inspect our 

 new domain. 



In this condition, if, with the assistance of a mag- 

 nifying- glass, we closely examine the glass walls of 

 the aquarium, we shall not unfrequently find nume- 

 rous little shells adherent to their interior, which, 

 although exceedingly minute, are well calculated from 

 the elegance of their form to arrest attention (PL I. 

 fig. 2). They might, indeed, almost be mistaken for 

 the shells of little Nautili, both from their shape and 

 from the circumstance of their being divided into 

 chambers; in size they are little larger than small 

 pins' -heads, and hence might easily escape the notice 

 of the unobservant. 



